Crabs having sex? Florida wildlife officials want you to report them

Wednesday

When you think of things that could only happen in Florida, this is probably one of them.

Here’s the deal. If you see any Horseshoe crabs getting busy on any Florida beaches, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission wants to hear from you.

Horseshoe crabs have sex up and down the Florida coast during their peak mating season in the spring, the FWC reports.

State wildlife officials are trying to find out more information about the declining crab population so they’re asking people to gather evidence by reporting sightings via the FWC mobile app.

So how exactly can you tell if crabs are having sex?

Look for a smaller male on top of a larger female crab. Pro Tip: You’ll want to catch the crabs in the act during high tide, which is within three days of a new or full moon. And lucky for you, there’s a full moon coming up on Sunday, Mar. 12.

You should report all your crab findings with this online survey or by emailing horseshoe@MyFWC.com.

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Laura Jazmin Tolliver is a digital reporter for GateHouse Media Group's Florida team, based in West Palm Beach, Fla. Jaz's stories, which run across digital, print and video platforms, are syndicated across the 22 Florida newspaper markets.

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